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Free to choose...OR NOT © Ken Firestein - 2018

We all like freedoms, right?  We all like choices, right?

REALLY?? Possibly. For whom?

If we like freedoms and choices do we also like others to have freedoms and choices?

Freedoms and choices are good, I think... and we make them from time to time. THEN - do we revisit our choices and check our freedoms? It can take a lot of energy and work to change and the essence of our freedoms and choices is the possibility to change.

A book from 1941 when Fascism arose and threatened the World...  was: Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm. The description on Amazon (on 11/7/18) is:

"If humanity cannot live with the dangers and responsibilities inherent in freedom, it will probably turn to authoritarianism. This is the central idea of Escape from Freedom, a landmark work by one of the most distinguished thinkers of our time, and a book that is as timely now as when first published in 1941. Few books have thrown such light upon the forces that shape modern society or penetrated so deeply into the causes of authoritarian systems. If the rise of democracy set some people free, at the same time it gave birth to a society in which the individual feels alienated and dehumanized. Using the insights of psychoanalysis as probing agents, Fromm's work analyzes the illness of contemporary civilization as witnessed by its willingness to submit to totalitarian rule."

 SO -- what WILL we do today?

 We have freedom "from" and freedoms "to"... The book, speaking from mid-20th century Europe, suggests our freedoms "from" .. such as food, clothing, and shelter... were met so now we had freedoms "to" create, enjoy, be social, be alone, BE!, etc... and choosing what TO do or be was difficult and scary to many.

Really? Well - the book is worth reading and thinking about.

The blog you are reading: https://thinkaboutitalready.blogspot.com/ - suggests choices we all made or make... once and forever or sometimes or time to time... and which define us a individuals, as members of groups, AS AMERICANS!

In the final analysis - I hope and believe we are Good Americans. Maybe even great... Certainly - good.

(and check my basic thought about choices by clicking here)

  © Ken Firestein - 2018


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